


Fault of Family

by centeast



Category: Hamilton - Miranda (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 19:23:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11720889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/centeast/pseuds/centeast
Summary: They took you in. They loved you. Your family protected you. What kind of sister would you be if you didn’t return the favor?





	Fault of Family

As you felt the blood slowly drain from your body, Y/N prayed that this wasn't the last time you would be seeing your brother’s eyes pleading with you to hang on. You could hear him cursing you for putting yourself between him and the oncoming bullet. 

“Had...to...cou...couldn't...let,” Y/N started, but was very quickly shushed by your brother and best friend. 

“You still shouldn't have done it. You have so much to live for. Please hang on, at least until help gets here. Please…” You heard your brother whisper.

“Will...you...let...everybody know I love them?” You asked as the edges of your vision started to blur. You wanted so badly to tell your brother that you’d be alright but at the moment, you weren’t sure you'd see your family again. 

And at that moment Y/N allowed herself to drift into darkness, her brother still pleading and grasping her hand.

One Month Prior

“Hey Y/N!” You hear your brother Lin call over the phone. 

To your brother and sister it didn't matter that you weren't blood, you were as much their family as the family they had grown up with. Before you had been taken in and eventually adopted by the family, you had been bounced around from foster family to foster family for nearly five years. They had loved you since you had set foot in their house and would never let you think or know any different. You had learned to speak Spanish even though you had struggled with it. Their two children had embraced you quickly. Their daughter was glad she had another girl in the family and their son was ecstatic he was no longer the youngest. Over the next 20 years, they had embraced you, stuck up for you, teased you and protected you. 

You were a doting aunt to your nephews. You had watched your sister become an amazing mother and business person and your brother become an award winning playwright. But nothing had changed your relationship. It didn't matter that they had both added significant others and kids and dogs to the mix, you knew where you stood with your family.

You hadn't realized you had been in deep thought for so long until you heard your brother calling your name over and over. 

“Hey, are you alright? I've been trying to get your attention for about three minutes now,” your brother asked. Ever since you been placed with them, he had made it his mission to chase away the demons and monsters and heartbreak that had haunted you. He had seen you grow from a nearly mute young girl into someone who could spin words and pages out of nothing. He had seen you become an independent and strong woman. He told you over and over just how proud of you he was. Any change in your voice, your family had learned to read easily. 

“Oh...yeah. I'm fine, I was just thinking. What's up?” you replied as nonchalantly as possible. 

“I need a date to an appearance I have to make next month,” he began and almost sensing your next question, “V has something she has to do and can't go, and mom and dad will be out of town. How do you feel about joining your old brother to Los Angeles?”

You had been to many of these appearances and lurked in the background as a little sister often would. You weren't even sure you wanted to join, but you had lacked any kind sibling time with either your brother or sister, due to all of your hectic schedules and your brother working in London for eight months. 

“Sure, I’ll go. Anything I need to bring?” Y/N began making a mental list in her head. Being that she was a writer, an outline was always part of her life. Whether it be for a story or for her schedule, she was always making lists. It was something her family was always teasing her about. First, she will need to get an outfit, depending on the dresscode of the event, because let’s be honest she wasn’t even sure what her brother could be invited to now, it seemed he was all over the place. 

“Just bring your wonderful self. We can figure out everything later. You know I am no fun at shopping for gowns or fun premiere dresses so you’d be better off asking the women of our family to go shopping,” Lin laughs. It was then he realized that it had been nearly six months since he had seen you in person, the last real family time being Christmas. And that was only for a couple of days. He always felt that he hadn’t spent enough time with his sister in the last few years. But every time they talked, he made sure to let her know how proud he was of her.

“That helps a lot,” You deadpanned, “I need a little more guidance than that.” You loved your brother, you really did, but sometimes you just had to shake your head at him. 

Your conversation lasted a few more minutes, all the while being able to set up an appointment with your sister and sister-in-law. 

You had been able to drag a few details out of the girls during your girls day and eventually settled on a blue and floral tea length dress and navy blue shoes. You knew it was going to be hot in LA so you really didn’t want to have a long dress that you’d have to drag it or trip or sweat to death in it. 

The first day you woke up in LA, your brother had been busy until well after the sun went down. All the while, dragging you along with him. It was over a late dinner that you two were truly able to catch up and talk for the first time in a while. Sure, you talked all the time on the phone but it was not the same as a face to face conversation. Lin, Luz and Y/N were always losing track of time after long breaks of not seeing each other face to face. It didn’t matter if it was only two of the three or if it had been a week or three months since you had seen each other, you were always trying to out talk one another. But honestly, your siblings had the upper hand, as they often used their kids and dogs as bait to win that contest.

You had finally obtained your dream job and landed back in NYC full time after many years. You had of course visited but the fact that you were able to go home was the best thing. You had yet to tell your brother, for reasons unknown to even you.

“Ok, so I have told you all about work -” your brother started, but you had to interrupt him.

“Oh, like you can really call what you do work…” you joked. In reality, you knew that he was doing exactly what he wanted to. He was like the little kid in the candy store, he didn’t do it for recognition, he acted and wrote stories for the stage because he loved it. And honestly, you couldn’t be prouder. All he could do was laugh at your reply. 

You also hadn’t told him the specifics of your new job. All you had divulged was that it had brought you back to New York shortly after he left for London. You had also sworn people to secrecy, so they wouldn’t blab your exciting news to your brother. The fact that so many people close to him and you had kept the it on the downlow for nearly four months was an impressive feat. 

“Speaking of work, I have to tell you about my new job,” you started. You watched as his eyes lit up and you could tell he was truly excited for you. “You know education reform has been something I have been interested for years. I mean, teaching is what I always wanted to do but I was able to find a job in the private sector that allows for me to work as an educational liaison, using the educational background and also my love of theater and -”

“Wait...are you telling me that you, my baby sister, are the new liaison for Gilder-Lehrman? The one that is based in the same building as our office?” Lin exclaimed giddily. “How long have you been working there?”

“I started right after the new year. And I have a pretty sweet office that looks over the city,” You began to explain. You knew that this was going to bring about more lunches and more of your brother checking in on you. And the rest of the family. But you truly didn’t care. Living on the opposite side of the country for the last three years, you had missed a lot. This move and this new job was just what you had needed. Your conversation kept going as your brother kept asking more and more about your life. You hadn’t seen him since Christmas. You both knew that this was exactly what each of you needed.

The next day saw you tagging along as your brother met with various members of the press corps. You, in turn, had decided to show him around your former neighborhood and visit some friends you had not seen since you left. Giving him a glimpse of your life, while his had changed dramatically in the same amount of time. You could read his face, as plain as day, growing up around him, you knew his ticks and he knew yours. 

Each day leading up the awards was the same routine. Wake up, breakfast, chat with your brother, coffee, interviews, text the family, text work, lunch, more interviews, dinner, evening shows, and then finally bed. The day of the award show finally came around it was a little less crazy. You finally were able to enjoy Los Angeles again. It wasn’t that you had missed the city, it was just that it felt good to visit it. You invited your brother to join you, however he had things he had to tend to before the awards show and dinner. He said he would meet you at the hotel before the two of you had to get dressed, so needless to say it was going to be a early dinner and a late, late night. 

As you wandered the city and area around your hotel, you couldn’t help but feel as though someone was watching and following you. You didn’t want to bring attention to it, but quickly sent a message back to your brother to see if it was alright if you met him earlier than planned. You tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. You also didn’t want to scare him, he was naturally very protective of you. 

Definitely! When are you thinking? 

Um...would right now work?

Everything okay? 

How were you supposed to answer this without scaring him. However, you didn’t realize that not responding set off even more alarms for him. 

Y/N? Are you alright? Y/N!

Sorry. Um, I think so. Can we not talk about it until I am back at the hotel?

Yeah….

And with that you continued your trek back. You weren’t sure if you were making something out of nothing, but you didn’t want to chance it. It felt as though your pace picked up without you knowing it. As you saw your hotel come into view, you noticed Lin bouncing on his feet, a nervous tick that he had for as long as you could remember. He wore a look of concern. Everything that people had said portraying him as a caring and compassionate person was so true. He truly cared about all of his friends and family. 

“Y/N! Hey, are you alright?” Lin asked as soon as he spotted you coming up the street. You finally let go of the breath you did not realize you were holding as he took you into a strong, protective hug.

“I...uh…” You couldn’t even seem to get the words out.

“Hey, breathe. Breathe. In and out,” your brother kept comforting and directing until you had calmed.

“I was just wandering, when I felt like someone was following me or watching me. I don’t know what they want or if it is even true, but it freaked me out. I am probably fabricating all of this but -” You began, taking a breath to collect yourself. 

“Don’t do that. If you think someone was following you, I don’t doubt you. We don’t have to go tonight if you don’t feel safe. We can say there was something the came up and I had to cancel and we can veg in the room and -” Lin rambled until you interrupted him.

“We came here for that, I am not going to let somebody ruin that for you or me,” you tried to confidently justify, however your voice betrayed you and wavered just a bit, something your brother had picked up on.

“Hey, if it you don’t feel comfortable going we don’t have to. If something were to happen to you on this trip, I don’t know…” He found himself starting, but couldn’t get bring himself to finish the thought. He hated the idea of you hurt, you were his baby sister. Of course some of the minor injuries you sustained throughout your lifetime with the family were not disclosed. The Mirandas knew your past before you were placed with them, they had wanted you to have a solid family life. They were your family.

“We are going to go and nothing will happen. And you won’t have to explain anything to mom and dad. And dammit, I’m going to put on the most expensive dress I will ever own, besides my future wedding dress,” you explained with a bit of laugh behind you voice now. You could see your brother take in exactly what you had said and just shake his head. You always seemed to be the one cheering up various members of your family.

You had hoped as you entered the hotel that the eerie feeling would leave, however it just seemed to intensify. You just hoped nothing would come to fruition. You wouldn’t be able to handle anything happening to your brother.

As the evening progressed, the feeling always seemed be there but not nearly as strong has it had been during the day. 

The red carpet was an experience that you never thought you’d experience up front and center. So many flashbulbs, so many people. Your brother wouldn’t let you leave his side, it was like he thought you were going to disappear into thin air if he lost sight of you.

The awards were amazing. You watched your brother be honored for his talents both as an actor and composer. As everyone gave him a standing ovation, you couldn’t help but be the proud little sister. The one who always tried your best to make anyone in your family smile. To know that after all of the rejections and laughs he had taken on his behalf, he is finally being recognized for all the amazing work he has done. You just wanted to slap him upside the head to make sure none of this was going to his head. But instead you knew you’d settle for the bone-crushing hug everyone in your family was known for. You just wanted to return the favor.  
As he made his way back to you, he saw the same adoration and pride in your eyes that he wore for you as well. You took him into a hug and playfully hit him at the same time. He heard you tell him how unbelievably proud you were of him and yet if it went to his head, you would hurt him. All Lin could do was laugh. 

“After-party?” he asked with the same laugh.

“Yeah, it’s kinda stuffy in here and I know I need a drink and or food. Whichever is handed to me first.”

Leaving the stuffy building, you took in a breath of the night air. You had always enjoyed the illusion that the night brought about new possibilities, even if it it wasn’t always true. However as you glanced around, the feeling of being watched slammed back into your reality. You vaguely remember stepping in front of your brother and then pain. So much pain. Everything seemed to buzz. Everything seemed to blur, however the pain still stayed. You heard shouting and then you noticed you were being lowered to the ground. You felt water landing on your face. Was it supposed to rain? As you reached for your brother’s face, you noticed that it wasn’t rain that was hitting your face. 

“He was crying! Why is Lin crying? What happened?” were the thoughts that were playing through your head. You felt yourself getting weaker. You heard him ask you why. You can’t be hurt. You have a family, you are needed. 

“Had...to...cou...couldn't...let,” Y/N started, but was very quickly shushed by your brother and best friend. 

“You still shouldn't have done it. You have so much to live for. Please hang on, at least until help gets here. Please…” You heard your brother whisper.

“Will...you...let...everybody know I love them?” You asked as the edges of your vision started to blur. You wanted so badly to tell your brother that you’d be alright. But at the moment, you weren’t sure you'd see your family again. 

And at that moment Y/N allowed herself to drift into darkness, her brother still pleading and grasping her hand.

You kept hearing voices, you kept hearing mumbles. You heard so many scientific words, you heard familiar voices ask if you were going to be alright. You had to be, you had to show Lin that you were okay. Why did that name sound so familiar? You heard people crying and sobbing, you heard the babbling of young kids. You felt pressure on and off on both your hands. Whomever was in your room knew you. You heard them say your name over and over again. The voices rarely changed. And they were always asking the same thing. 

You also heard screaming, alarms and sirens going off around you. You weren’t sure what was going on but you just wanted the quiet back and the voices to keep talking to you. It meant that someone at least cared about you. It seemed to go on forever. However it ended almost as soon as it started. And there were sobs and suddenly pressure on your hand yet again. You found the pressure oddly comforting and when it was withdrawn you wanted to reach out, call out. But you couldn’t talk. You couldn’t see anything, either. 

Time continued to turn and the voices were always a constant. You could guess they knew you as a sister. You knew your name. You had a family. You weren’t sure how long you had been in your current state. However, something changed and you were able to breathe, you were able to open your eyes. And you were able to talk.

“Lin,” you whispered as you woke up. Hoping that he was still there. That he hadn’t left.

“Y/N, hey sweetie, please don’t talk, your throat is going to be a bit sore,” the nurse started.

“My...fam..ily...where are...they?” you had to ask. You didn’t realize how much you wanted to see them when you woke up. 

“They just took a breather. We made them take a break, they have had someone be here 24/7 for the past three weeks. We can page them if you want us to. I believe someone is still around. Just hang tight sweetie,” the nurse, whose name you read as Eni. All you wanted was to tell your family hi and your brother that this wasn’t his fault. You had to make sure he was alright.

After what seemed like hours, but was in reality truly minutes, you heard footsteps in quick succession. You honestly didn’t care if it was your brother, sister, mom or dad. It could have been your brother-in-law or sister-in-law. You didn’t care. You just needed to them know you were going to work to get better. All of a sudden, the footsteps stopped and you heard a gasp. You turned your head ever so slightly and looked at your brother. This time you hoped the tears streaming down his face were out of happiness, not sadness. 

“Y/N, thank god - “He began but you had to say something, even if it hurt.

“Hi. Just so you know...this wasn’t your fault. Had...to protect you,” Was all you could muster.

“I don’t care if it wasn’t my fault. Seeing you go down like that. Protecting me...the red spot growing on your dress. There was so much. I just...you...I...you aren’t allowed to scare me like that. Alright? You are my little sister, I’m supposed to be protecting you. Not the other way around,” he whispered. You really had no reply but to nod.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I’m not sure how often I’ll write or how often I’ll be here but I’ll write as inspiration strikes. I started this while I was on my trip in June and finally finished it. I’m going to need focus more on me but I’ll still be writing, because it’s what I do. It’s what bring me fun and happiness.


End file.
